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An electrical fire in the basement of the 17-story Rip Van Winkle Apartment House that left the building without electricity, also left some 300 residents without a place to stay, at least temporarily.

The City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department initially received a call around 3:40 p.m. Monday, regarding a fire on the seventh floor of the building at 10 Rinaldi Blvd., said Fire Chief Mark Johnson.

When firefighters arrived on scene they found a transformer fire in the basement that was causing the smoke to move up through the building creating smoke and respiratory issues for the occupants, he said.

No serious injuries occurred other than some minor smoke inhalation complainants, Johnson said.

The fire, which had burned itself out by 4:15 p.m., left the building without power. The equipment that burned is owned by the apartment complex, said John Maserjian with Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp.,

Masejian said crews are currently on standby waiting for instructions from the fire department as to when it will be safe to turn the power back on, he said.